First Public Hearing on Polk School Board Budget Will Be July 30

The Polk County School Board will have its first public hearing on a $754.9 million general fund budget when it meets July 30.

By MERISSA GREENTHE LEDGER

BARTOW | The Polk County School Board will have its first public hearing on a $754.9 million general fund budget when it meets July 30.The School Board met briefly Tuesday morning to approve how to advertise the public hearing.Officials with the teachers' union expressed their pleasure with the way Superintendent of Schools Kathryn LeRoy has handled the budget process."Since Ms. LeRoy has come in, we have seen a more transparent process and we are appreciative of that," said Marianne Capoziello, president of the Polk Education Association. "Everybody wants a financially, stable district."The board voted 5-0 on the advertisement. School Board members Kay Fields and Lori Cunningham were absent.The only question to arise about the tentative budget came from School Board member Dick Mullenax who wanted to know whether the district is able to reach 5 percent of the general fund revenue in the district's fund balance by September when the budget receives final approval. The fund balance is a savings account to pay for emergency expenses. Although state law requires 3 percent be available, Polk County School Board policy requires 5 percent.LeRoy said the goal won't be reached in September. However, her staff will work toward the 5 percent before the end of the new fiscal year that ends June 30, 2014. The fund balance is currently at $22.6 million, or 3.43 percent of the general fund revenue. The budget includes a property tax rate of $7.54 per $1,000 of taxable value.That means the owner of a home valued at $100,000 with a $25,000 homestead exemption will pay $565.50. A second $25,000 homestead exemption that a homeowner can apply to county and city taxes doesn't apply to schools.Revenues from the state that the district receives for per-student funding increased by $665,915. That brings the total to $633.8 million.Revenue from the state that the district receives for each student increased by $665,915, said LeRoy."We're very excited to have that money," she said.The July 30 public hearing begins at 5 p.m. The final hearing on the budget will be Sept. 10 at the District's Office in Bartow.

[ Merissa Green can be reached at merissa.green@theledger.com or 863-802-7547. ]